Broken Secrets Athena's Story
by anianka
Summary: Athena was always the undervalued member of the Galactica team - but that is about to change! What is Athena really capable of - and what will happen to Galactica once her secrets come out! Will she be the hero: Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1: First Secret Revealed

This story is based on the original series of Battlestar Galactica and the characters from the book series, and I make no claim of ownership over any existing characters (I only claim to own the extra characters I have made up myself! hehehe)

By the way, this is my first fanfic, so please don't expect miracles ... I stopped reading my own work ages ago! Seriously though, I would love all readers (ok, so I'm only expecting one or two - yeah, me and my mum!) to review...pleease!

**Chapter One:**

The problem was a mounting one - the surge of power Athena felt on stepping onto the surface told her they were close by. She didn't bother to scan the area with her eyes or her tricorder as she knew the natives had technology which allowed them to cloak their appearance in all forms. Athena had volunteered for this preliminary survey against her father's wishes. However, as she could not reveal the secret of their enemy, nor explain how she acquired this knowledge, she had to be there when the first scouting party made their observations. She had to protect them; it was her job, even if she couldn't reveal her true identity to those she worked with. The Twelve System Alliance may be dead, and the President, her boss, along with it, but her duty remained.

There were four other members on this survey expedition, and all of them male. Her brother, Captain Apollo was to lead this mission, and he had chosen the other three from their experience on record. Lieutenant Greene, and Lieutenants' Starbuck and Boomer were the other members. Ensign Athena was the only female. She had not been chosen specifically, but her training at the academy would be useful to the mission and Athena was sure to point that out to her brother and her father. They finally both agreed, seeing as how she did need the experience.

Athena thought that a bit of a private joke. Considering how she had served the Twelve System Alliance and the President for eight years as an operative in his secret service, she knew she had a more diverse range of experience then any other on this mission, including her brother. She had been trained for the service since she was eleven, and began working for them as soon as she turned twelve; a symbolic number for the Presidential Service - a symbolic number for the president. He had inducted her personally, and she had served him since. She had not been there at his side the day he died; instead, she watched his death from the bridge of her father's battleship. Since that day, she had worked silently for a chance to avenge him. She knew that if she had been there, Count Baltar would never have had the chance to kill her master. His betrayal instead would have meant his instant death at her hands.

Athena had been promoted after the massacre of the Cylons to Commander. As an operative with many years experience, she was highly regarded by her superiors as leader material. However, she often chose to work alone under her previous commander, who had been promoted to Captain, even though she also had her own team to lead. This time, she chose to work alone with her Captain by her side.

Taking a deep breath, Athena used her sense of smell to ascertain the range between her and the closest target. A sharp tangy flavor told her the enemy was a lot closer then she expected. Drawing her gun, she aimed the nozzle in the right direction, away from her shipmates, and began firing. The old fashioned chemical gun she had to use was not continuous and she soon ran out of ammo.

The sound of the bullets breaking the air caused Apollo and Greene, who were closest to her, to turn in surprise. The sight that they beheld was a strange one - their eyes told them that Athena was wildly firing into thin air. No enemies were in sight, and their equipment told them the same story. Apollo took a step forward, and demanded fiercely to know what in hell Athena was doing. Athena ignored him. When she ran out of ammo, she tossed the empty gun aside, calling sideways"Captain, help"

Again shots were heard to be fired, but this time at Athena. Apollo yelled out, and drawing his gun, began desperately searching the surrounds for their enemy. Hearing the shots, Starbuck and Boomer both came running back from the direction they had wondered off in, their guns already drawn. But Greene was watching Athena, his eyes wide in shock as if he could not believe what he was seeing. And indeed, the sight was one almost unbelievable. Athena was dodging the bullets, her body moving at the same speed as them so as to twist out of their way. She seemed to be doing the impossible. As the others noticed what Greene was staring at, their sense of urgency was lost in their amazement.

As the alien ran out of ammunition, Athena dropped to the ground, the last two bullets grazing her right arm and left thigh. A haze shimmered before Athena, and a strange voice spoke the words "Only human" To the right of the haze, another one shimmered, this time coming into focus completely to reveal a young girl, about sixteen or younger, aiming a gun at the head region of the haze. "Not so superior now, huh" her only words before pulling the trigger and firing two rounds into the aliens head. It fell dead at Athena's feet, its camouflage fading completely to reveal an almost human form.

Reaching out a hand to Athena, the girl asked"Are you okay? You're getting faster" Grabbing the hand offered, Athena pulled herself up off the ground, grimacing as she checked out her wounds. "Not fast enough, obviously! Thanks, Captain, he came out of nowhere." Smiling grimly, her Captain shook her head"There are a lot of them out there, you've got to be more careful" A sound unheard by the others, caused both the girl and Athena to raise their heads sharply. Athena took a step between her Captain and the unknown ahead, calling back in a tight urgent voice"You get it ready, I'll head them off," The girl gave a firm nod in response, then turning to the others, yelled"Well don't just stand there; move, move, move" She ran towards the ship, yelling at them to follow her quickly and not to waste time. Apollo was reluctant to leave Athena alone with these unknown attackers, but through gritted teeth, Athena ordered him to do as he was told. "I can't fight them and protect you at the same time, brother, now move"

Suddenly, Athena seemed to launch herself into attack, fighting the air in a series of frenzied moves. Her martial arts skills were impressive, and Apollo watched in awe at the abilities he never knew his sister possessed. Snapping himself out of it, he too turned and sprinted to the ship, which was warming its engines up preparing to lift off once Athena joined them. Greene was sending a garbled audio message to the Galactica preparing them for their sudden arrival ahead of schedule. Unbeknownst to him, his message worried Commander Adama more than it should have, only becauseit wasn't Athena sending the communication, as was her job.

**A/N:** Ok, so probably not the best ending for the first chapter...but I'll try to do better for the second one if you all promise to review - even if it's only to say this story should be scrapped:)


	2. Chapter 2: Fighting for a Chance

This story is based on the original series of Battlestar Galactica and the characters from the book series, and I make no claim of ownership over any existing characters or story elements that I have stolen from other shows! Even my O.C's seem disappointed to belong to me - sob they have filed for emancipation ...

By the way, this is my first fanfic, so please don't expectmuch! I would love all readers to review...pleease! To those who have (ok - only the one: but thanks anyway!) thank you for taking the time to drop a line - much appreciated!

Chapter Two: Fighting for a Chance.

Athena spun to the left, her leg swinging to connect the head of one of her assailants. The stinging in her thigh was gone already, her adrenaline pumping as her training came to the fore. Trying to keep off three aliens at once was harder then one would suppose, but Athena was trained for this and the exertion did her good.

On board the Galactica, Athena could only practice her martial arts moves in her small quarters, occasionally sparing with other members of her team when they could arrange it. But in situations like this, Athena came alive. Grabbing the third alien in a quick headlock, she snapped his neck and threw his lifeless body towards the other two, knocking them back to the ground.

Appearing suddenly, a fourth alien arrived. He was much stronger then the two other aliens, his training making him an equal opponent. He smiled menacingly at Athena, and launched himself at her. Athena blocked his first few moves, but his fists flew almost faster then her own and one of them connected, sending her stumbling backwards.

Keeping momentum, he followed up his advantage with a few more punches and a kick that sent her flying into the trunk of a tree. Shaking her head to remove fallen foliage, Athena braced herself against the trunk and kicked out as her opponent came rushing closer, sending him flying backwards. The other two aliens used this as an advantage, and each grabbed one of Athena's arms, holding her up for the third alien's recovered attack. Athena again kicked out, but her kick was not as effective, and after swinging one of the two aliens around so that his head connected with that of the first alien and knocking them out, she was unprepared for the third alien's attack, which sent her flying backwards, smashing into the side of her own ship.

The impact stunned her, and realizing she was vulnerable, the young girl ordered Starbuck to fly off, hoping it was enough to maybe distract the attack from her to them. Starbuck, after glancing at Apollo and receiving his agreement, flew off a few hundred meters, their sensors still trained on Athena; but the ruse didn't work.

Athena stumbled to stand up, but her leg gave her a little trouble. Focusing on the injury, she realized it wasn't broken as she thought it might have been but only sprained. Her distraction allowed the alien to get his arms around her neck, holding her in a chokehold, grinning maniacally. "There is no point in trying to stand up to us, _hu_-man; you are no match for us!" he sneered. Grunting with the strain, Athena braced her feet against the ground and grasped the alien's forearm, trying to dislodge his grip. Slowly choking, her fear built up inside her until it became anger. She remembered her family – she wanted to see them again; and her opponent's smug superiority was the final insult. With a snarl, she snapped, "My _name_ is Athena!"

Grabbing his arm firmly, she used the last of her strength to flip them both in the air, landing hard on the alien's back. The force of the fall loosened his grip and Athena pulled away, landing an elbow to his neck before rolling away. Gasping in a lungful of air, she focused on her inner strength, readying herself for the fight. The alien had rolled over himself, feeling his neck for injury before forcing himself to stand, growling out inhumanly. As he turned to Athena, she braced herself for his attack in an ancient martial arts pose.

Rushing her, the alien threw himself into a frenzy, his blows coming faster and faster as his anger intensified. Athena met each strike in a cold anger of her own, determined to beat him and finish the job as meant to be done – failure was not one of her options, not if she was to save her people from this threat. With a practiced move, she sidestepped one of his blows, turned neatly to follow up, and grabbed his neck with a vicious grip. Twisting his body to loosen her hold, he vaulted himself over her head, with the intention of grabbing Athena from behind. Prepared for this, Athena twirled around and kicked him while he was still in mid-air. The force of her kick sent him spinning rapidly backwards, crashing with a sickening thud against the trunk of the nearest tree and snapping his spine with enough strength to kill him instantly.

Turning towards the shuttle, Athena felt the number of aliens around her increase. Taking a breath and steadying herself, she spoke one word directed to her Captain.

"Hurry!"

"Move it – we gotta go get her, now!" Chandra turned to Apollo, who had pushed Starbuck out of the pilot's seat. With a firm nod, he flew the shuttle back in the direction of where his sister was fighting for her life. Holding Athena's pack in her hands, Chandra moved back to the holding bay, readying the controls to open the hatch. A muffled shout, "Open it!" from the cockpit, and Chandra hit the switch with her palm. Swinging into the hatchway, she pulled her weapon and hunched down to begin firing around Athena, who had started running towards the now open hatch.

Chandra turned around to grab the pack, turning back to fling it out to the ground; the momentary lapse in cover fire was enough to give one of the aliens a chance to get a good shot back. With a loud, "No!", Athena dived in-between Chandra and the bullet. Time seemed to slow down, then speed up – Boomer hit the switch again to lower the door, and Chandra pulled Athena further in.

It was a slight whimper from Athena followed by the telepathic stab of pain that made Chandra realize Athena had been shot. Rolling Athena over, Chandra's eyes searched for and found the entry wound in her lower torso. Athena's blood pooled under her tender hand, but the touch was enough to make Athena tense. Grabbing hold of Chandra's arm before she could do anymore than move for the medico kit, Athena shook her head and bit her lip firmly.

"No, Captain, the pack –it's now or never!" her sentence was cut of as she gasped in pain. Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself up, pushing Chandra's hand away as she attempted to help, and dragged herself to the nearest bulkhead.

Chandra leant back on her heels uncertainly, but she knew Athena was right. Moving swiftly to the nearest computer terminal, she punched in a few commands then moved back to the porthole above Athena's head. The ground was disappearing fast, but from the distance, she could still see the large explosion when the pack detonated. A large cloud of bluish green gas dissipated from the blast, then spread like a shock wave across the ground.

With a satisfied sigh, Chandra leant her head against the glass for a moment, and then pushed back when another telepathic shot of pain hit her, this time much stronger than the last. Crouching down beside Athena, she used the tips of her fingers to rest above the wound. Athena tried to pull away from the connection, knowing what her Captain meant to do, but the bulkhead reminded her there was no room to move.

**-------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Next Time: **Will Athena make it back to the Galactica alive - and if she does, will she suvive question hour!

Tune in next week for another thrilling episode in this not so thrilling story ...

**A/N:** Well, I hope that was better than the first chapter ...drop me a line if you liked it - or hey, even if you don't; I don't have any high standards!


	3. Chapter 3: The Beginning of the End

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on the original series of Battlestar Galactica and the characters from the book series, and I make no claim of ownership over any existing characters (I only claim to own the extra characters I have made up myself! hehehe)

By the way, this is my first fanfic, so please don't expect miracles, but I would love all readers to review...pleease!

To Aynot: thank you for being the only one reviewing this work – it's because of you that I went back and got to work on finishing this one. Let me know what you think, because I think I'm starting to get lost … Anyways read on and hopefully you will enjoy!

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**Chapter Three: The Beginning of the End.**

Holding onto Chandra's forearm, Athena gritted her teeth as another wave of pain overcame her. Boomer heard nothing and moved into the forward compartment with the other officers. Chandra felt his presence leave but she was more focused on the struggle with Athena to call him for help. Not understanding why Athena pulled away, Chandra tried again. This time, Athena used her grip to roughly hold her back; her whispered, "No!" held strength even as her own was fading.

"But, … you're dying! If you won't do it for yourself, do it for –," Chandra's quiet desperation was interrupted by Athena's firm shake of her head as sweat from her effort to hold on ran down her forehead. Chandra could see the wheels turning over in her eyes even now, and wondered not for the first time why it had taken a tragedy for their superiors to recognize her potential.

"I don't need you to tell me the risks, Captain – I knew them from the first! Think about this; too much has been revealed too soon! I know my father too well; if you healed me now as well, he would be so focused on trying to understand us, the real issues would be forgotten! Once I'm on Galactica, I'll be fine, and my injury would be incentive to cut a wide birth around this planet. You just focus on getting me there, and on keeping their mouths shut about what they saw!" With a nod towards the forward compartment, Chandra knew Athena meant the other four officers on board. She could recognize the validity of Athena's arguments; if the truth of their identities was revealed too soon to the Council, it would be impossible to find the real traitor still working for Baltar, and all their mission objectives would be exposed.

Chandra also knew there was another reason Athena did not want to be thrust into the limelight at this moment; and with a forced nod, she accepted Athena's decision. If Orin were to be revealed now, the situation would really grow out of control. Using a fingertip to trace a gentle line down Athena's cheek, she used her mental powers to ease Athena's pain, and forced herself to leave Athena and do what had to be done.

Entering the forward section of the shuttle, Chandra pushed the echo of Athena's slow shallow breaths from her ears and focused on the end of the communication exchange between the shuttle and the Galactica. Apollo turned to watch her as she laid a hand on the back of his pilot seat, and she returned his suspicious glare with a cold gaze of her own. Reaching over, she cut off the comm. channels with a flick of her wrist, ignoring a fractious "Hey" from Starbuck in the co-pilot seat as she turned back to Apollo.

"You need to hurry straight back to your Battlestar – your sister is dying!" Not allowing the stunned, "What!" from the someone or other behind her, she focused on Apollo's paling face as she continued, "She took a bullet to the abdomen; it's still in there, and it's causing some serious damage. She's also losing a lot of blood. If we don't get her back to a medic team soon, we're going to lose!"

Keeping her eyes locked with Apollo's until she was certain the gravity of the situation had sunk in, she stepped back to allow the older man to leap out of his seat and race back to his sister's side, calling over his shoulder for someone to radio the situation to the Galactica. Starbuck took over piloting controls, gunning the engines as Boomer slipped into the vacant seat beside his distraught friend, and Green began hailing the Battlestar to inform them of the need to have the Life Centre ready for them on their arrival.

Standing quietly in the shadows of the hatchway, Chandra reached out with her mind, slipping past the open defences of the three men before her busy on their tasks, and seeking their recollections of the events planet side. With a determined if grim look on her face and a firm concentration, she used her abilities to cloud over their memories, shifting their emotional responses so that they could never quite remember what had happened after they had stepped off the shuttle. Releasing her hold after ensuring that her work was permanently in place, she gave them one last glance before turning back to join Apollo and Athena.

The voice of someone familiar calling her name pulled Athena out of a hazy drifting somewhere golden. She thought she could see a vague face somewhere close by, but the voice shifted and changed, and she opened her eyes with an effort to see her brother leaning solicitously over her as his right hand pressed firmly on the bandaging to stem the blood flow. Giving his bent head a weak smile, she lifted her hand and played with a few loose strands of his hair. Her hand was starting to feel heavy, like it was covered in a cumbersome substance, but Athena ignored her weakened body and kept her eyes as free of pain as she could.

Apollo started at her touch, and raised his head to watch his sister. Athena almost chuckled at the expression in his eyes, and in an attempt to keep the mood as light as possible, remarked that this was probably the end of her career on away missions. Instead of joining in her amusement, Apollo's eyes still held an angry, hallow expression. With a sigh, Athena read the look to mean that her brother was lost in the memories of the day they had lost the other members of their small of their small family. Laying a palm against her brother's cold cheek, she tried to bring him away from the painful memories of Zac's death, and the ensuing chaos that had followed.

Opening her mouth to call his name gently, her body was wracked with a sudden, painful shudder. She bit back a verbal expression of the immense wave of pain she now felt, and she wished for a brief moment that Chandra would give her another escape from the pain. Apollo snapped back to reality as he felt his sister stiffen and the warm flow of her blood spread through the bindings and onto his palm. With a feral growl, he pushed Chandra aside as she rushed forward to grab Athena bodily from his arms, and he called out his sister's name as he threatened and cajoled her, trying desperately to keep her with him as he reminded her that they were close to help.

Chandra bit back her own pain as her connection with Athena allowed her to share the anguish her friend was enduring. Cold tears threatened to overflow, and she used every ounce of her self-control to hold her emotions from erupting. Reaching out with her mind, she gave Starbuck a mental shove to get help faster, and before long, the buzzing and scrapping of a docking ship filled her ears.

As soon as the ship stopped moving and the outer hatch lifted open, a crew of three medics filled the space around her and lifted a barely conscious Athena onto a stretcher that would carry her safely to the Life Centre. Apollo refused to leave his sister's side, and clasping his blood stained hands into tight fists balled at his side, he ignored his father's urgent appeals for information to chase after her prone form. Chandra kept pace with him, determined to watch over Athena as she slipped in and out of consciousness even though her very presence on the Galactica was against every direction she could think of, but resolved to worry about any disciplinary action they could and would bring against her later, she used her mental powers to stay connected to the young woman now bravely fighting for her life. Starbuck, Boomer, and Green watched the small party leave the Docking Bay with mixed feelings of fear, insecurity and confusion.

Adama found his son pacing the sterile, white corridors of the Life Centre as a young girl, unfamiliar to the old man stood stonily still, her hands kept firmly pressed against the glass partitions that kept the Observation Room separate from the operating tables beyond. Apollo barely raised his head in acknowledgement of his father's presence, but Adama's only focus was what was beyond that pane. Dr. Salik worked furiously with qualified medical assistants at repairing the damage her body had suffered, but Athena had lost her grip on consciousness and they were slowly but surely losing her. Adama moved to stand beside the young girl, his breath hitching in his chest at the unthinkable conclusion he was about to lose another child and that was when he noticed the girl was not as still as he had first thought. Her eyes looked glazed over, but her body rocked backwards and forwards in a slight but sure rhythm. As much as her behaviour caught his sympathetic curiosity he couldn't bring himself to make a move to comfort her.

There were others gathering in the corridor now that a work cycle was ending, others that also cared for Athena, but in his shock, he couldn't place the names to their voices nor did he really hear their words of comfort. What did break through his haze and echoed loudly in his ears pushing out the buzzing that blocked everything else out was the source of Athena flat lining. The world suddenly cleared and sharpened painfully, as Dr. Salik tried frantically to revive her, but she responded to nothing. Apollo ceased his pacing, and he held back his breath as his face broke into a devastated expression.

With a piercing scream, Chandra pushed away from the glass, disappearing and reappearing on the other side of the pane. Apollo took her place as he watched in disbelief at what was happening. Her hands raised, she used her powers to send loose instruments flying around the room in an attempt to frighten the medical staff from the room and barred the door, keeping any and all of them out. Those now locked outside the operating theatre that were not attempting to bust their way back in, crowded around the transparent partitions to watch the unfolding events as Chandra moved slowly back across the room to stand over the silent body of her now dead friend.

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**Next Chapter:**

What would it take to bring Athena back from the dead – is it possible, or would the price be too great to pay?

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**AN: **Hey all, sorry I've been gone so long – but I had trouble getting the wording right. I still am not completely happy with it, but it's better than nothing. Hopefully Chapter Four will be better but it might be a little while to get it into action.

For now, please, please review, because I am soo not feeling the love!

Ciao ciao


	4. Chapter 4: Freedom at a Price

**Disclaimer: **This story is based on the original series of Battlestar Galactica and the characters from the book series, and I make no claim of ownership over any existing characters (I only claim to own the extra characters I have made up myself! hehehe)

By the way, this is my first fanfic, so please don't expect miracles, but I would love all readers to review...pleease!

**Reviews: **To Aynot: Yeah, I write fast and as the ideas come to me, so I get that they won't always flow in sync … unfortunately, I can't seem to fix them the way I'd like, so they usually end up sounding a little awkward. Sorry; I'll try to work on that! I think I answered most of your review in my email – but thanks for sending it to me, because it was _very_ helpful!

To Herald Tamara: Thanks for the uplifting review, and I hope this chapter answers some of your questions!

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**Chapter Four: Freedom at a Price.**

The air around Athena seemed pleasant and if she relaxed her grip, it seemed as if her body floated easily through the warmth. There were voices surrounding her; voices that were familiar, but Athena didn't want to focus on them. Her body felt tenuous, and if she stretched out through the bright warm light that enveloped her she could touch freedom – a safety she had searched for all her life.

Suddenly, feather light strokes travelled down her cheek, and she opened her eyes. She knew the face before her – the edges were blurred by the fierce brightness of the light, but once she squinted she could see the familiar smile of her brother. As if she were watching through a distorted screen, she could see his smile widen and shift, and she gasped in fear. Her body moved to pull away, but blinking her eyes, his face cleared and all she could remember was that this was Zac – her lost brother was with her once more.

Athena couldn't throw himself into his arms more forcefully, and Zac's warm chuckle echoed in her ears. He squeezed her frame in a tight embrace, before releasing her to laugh aloud. It was Athena's turn to cup her brother's face as she returned his joy with a delighted giggle, shaking her head as another shadow passed overhead. Pulling away to hold his hands firmly in her grip, she bent her head to take in as much of her surroundings as she could for the first time. They seemed to be standing in a large open field, the tall green grass waving placidly in a slight breeze. The sky was coloured a deep indigo blue, and the only shadows seemed to be cast by the wide tree that stretched out welcoming branches across the landscape. The whole scene buzzed with a calm serenity that relaxed Athena's mind even more.

"Where are we?" Spoken words seemed almost profane, but Zac merely placed a forefinger on Athena's forehead, his slight frown fading as if it had never marred his fixed smile. His voice echoed in her mind as he answered without speech.

"_This is the end, Athena. The eternal rest for those who deserve to be here._"

"_A field?_" His answering chuckle was as warm in its amusement as it had always been.

"_It is whatever you want it to be – but for some reason, the tree is always involved in the first step for everyone. I guess people associate that tree with the afterlife. What do you think, little sister?_" Athena smiled at his dramatically widespread arms.

"_It's too quiet – there's no one else here. Where's Mother?_"

Zac tilted his head. "_Mother? I thought Castor would be the first person you would ask for!_" A sudden flash passed behind Athena's eyes as one word pushed itself forward into her mind, screaming in its fury for being forgotten. _Orin_. Athena's smile faded, and she pulled away, her hand slipping from her brother's suddenly dicey grip. Afraid, she wanted to kick herself for allowing that thought to leave her, to allow it to be forgotten. How could this place hold that much power over her?

"_How do you know about Castor? I never had the chance to tell you anything about him or …_" Her thoughts trailed off as a deeper darker shadow passed by overhead. Raising her eyes up almost reluctantly, she was too slow to catch what had passed by, but lowering her gaze back to her brother's face as the shadow faded, she could feel the buzz around her shift with her mood, and become almost threatening. Zac's unchanging grin no longer belonged, and it took on a sinister edge as he tried to catch her hand once more. Athena eluded his grasp, her voice ripping though the relaxed façade.

"What is this place? Who _are_ you?"

Zac's grin finally dropped, and his hands clenched into fists. Risking a quick glance towards the tree, he ducked his head and when she met his gaze, she was startled to find swirling depths that pushed forward from his eyes.

"_You shouldn't be here yet, Athena. It is before your time, just as it was before mine. You _don't _belong here …_"

Whatever else he was about to say was cut off by a melodious voice that danced towards her from close by.

"Athena, my little one, don't listen to him. You _do _deserve to be here."

Athena raised her eyes, and under the receptive shade of the thick braches yonder, she could make out the familiar frame of her beloved mother. Her curls shined in the flickering sunlight that filtered down through the wide leaves. Her voice was compelling, drawing Athena towards her.

"You deserve this rest more than most. Come to me, little one, and enjoy this – it is what you deserve."

As she moved to pass by him, Zac's hand shot out and yanked her feet to a stop, and the force of his grip pulled her out of the dangerous trance she had fallen into. Startled, she looked back to meet his gaze; but this time he voiced his urgency.

"No, Athena! You _shouldn't_ be here! If you get too close, you won't escape and there will be no hope for us. Turn around; run! Get out of here, or it will all be too late. Run, Athena; RUN!"

The breeze whipped up around her, and as the braches of the tree swayed out and stretched towards her, her mother's voice became shrill in its pleadings. The shadows grew as the sky darkened, but Athena ignored the strong urge to run for the only sheltered offered in this open field and kept her gaze locked on the dark pools that shimmered with fear and determination in her brother's face. There was a sudden roar, and the distorted screen returned.

The colours merged and the sky dripped a crimson red as the grass beneath their feet withered a sickly brown. The branches of the tree twisted into grotesque shapes as the leaves died and disappeared when they dropped off. It's roots rippled against the surface to slither with deadly intent towards the two siblings. The form of their mother melded into pure shadow, and the only feature left visible across the clearing were the diamond shaped eyes that glowed a sinister green.

With a yell, Zac pushed his sister behind him as he turned to face his punishment, yelling again above the roar for her to run. With an equally determined, "NO!" Athena interlaced her fingers with her brother's, dragging him after her as she began to sprint across the dying ground as she tried to escape whatever force determined to have her within its grasp.

The boundaries around the field dropped away into darkness, and a swirling vortex of black energy flickering with a brilliant blue opened up ahead of her. Screaming out her brother's name, she thought she could hear Chandra's voice chanting softly beneath the roar that seemed impossibly to increase in sound, calling out to her. Allowing her body to go limp as she was pulled toward the darkening void, Athena tried to keep her grip on her brother's hand, but the force of the pull intensified and Athena's fingers were ripped from his. The last thing she heard before the darkness fully enveloped her, was the sound of her brother's voice calling out her name, the edges of his call frantically sharp in desperation.

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Chandra pushed aside a loose strand of dark hair from Athena's forehead as she leaned forward over the operating table. The room around her lay in shambles as the emergency lighting sent flickering shadows across the prone form and the now eerily calm psionic. Placing both hands on either side of Athena's face, she closed her eyes and her forehead creased in concentration. Calling out across the astral planes required a great deal of power, and she still felt slightly drained from her emotional outburst earlier.

Stretching past her normal boundaries, she searched for Athena's presence in the beyond. The veins around her eyes stood out as they glowed a bright blue from her exertion, and finally a white radiance flowed from her fingertips like beams of pure sunlight, passing into Athena's temples and travelling through her entire body. The group huddled against the glass partitions watched in confused awe even as the security detachment fought to beat their way through the barricaded doors, the broken security locks to each door fizzled with electricity through the live wires. The air seemed to still and grow heavy as if the very atmosphere surrounding them was charged with the powers Chandra was using to pull Athena back, and they held their breath in shock as, with a strong gasp, Athena opened her eyes.

"Zac!"

Her breathing was a ragged echo as Adama felt as if a cold hand had entered his chest and gripped at his heart to hear his dead son's name ripped from Athena's hoarse throat. Chandra moved down the bed to hold one hand over her deep wound and the other moved to hold above her forehead, as Athena's eyes focused on her surrounds, frowning at the white and clear walls and strewn equipment. She tried to wriggle away in her weakened condition as she whispered, " … no, …" but Chandra kept her grip firm and her voice sounded weary past the harshness as she responded firmly.

"Not this time, Athena. Listening to you could cost too high a price."

This time, the blue glow from beneath her skin spread further down the veins of her face as the power surged from her open palm into Athena's wound and Athena's whole body gave a sudden jolt before arching up as she grimaced and gasped in pain. Apollo slammed his fists against the partition, but his growled out orders were muffled, and the only clue anyone inside the room might have had of what he had commanded was a small explosion that rattled the doors of the far end of the theatre. Smoke wafted from the edges as they slid opens a crack, and pairs of fingers could be seen wedging through the opening to try and prise it open through brute force.

Athena bit back a scream as the power flickered and died, and Chandra stumbled, slipping to her knees, her head banging against the bed as she tried to gain some control of her shaking limbs. The blue glow had spread to her hands, and she gripped her fingers into a palm to hide the evidence of her fatigue. Athena gasped and wiping a hand over her face as she tried to calm her breathing she pushed herself into a sitting position, her left fingers wandering across her abdomen to stroke the newly whole skin. With a louder explosion, the door to the outside corridor to their right ceased to be a barrier of protection.

Chandra pulled herself up off of the floor and Athena swung her legs around and off the bed, hastily moving to get between her friend and captain, and the security forces that charged their way into the room. Apollo and Adama followed in their wake, Adama calling out in a voice even he didn't recognise for his daughter to move away. Athena's only movement was to reach behind her to grab Chandra's hand in her own grip, keeping the younger girl bodily behind her. With a sharp clang, the far door behind them also slid back into place, and a second security force pushed their way in behind them.

Athena heard the words they shouted as if the room had suddenly been set to slow motion. She could see the concerned and mystified faces of Dr. Salik and his team somewhere behind her father, and his determination to keep her in the Life Centre "for observation". She could hear Starbuck somewhere close by, and Sheba calling out to reassure themselves that she was alive and out of danger. Suddenly, she was tired of the charade her life had become, and all she wanted to do was to drop the façade, and be away from all these voices and with the one person she had fought so hard to return for.

"Don't do this, Father, please. She saved my life – she bought me back from the dead. There are some things you _can't_ control!"

Squeezing her grip, Chandra raised her head to stare out at Athena's family, knowing instinctively what Athena wanted of her. Breathing in deeply through her nose as she allowed her senses to absorb everything in the room and gave in to the blue glow that shrouded her eyes after a visible effort, the room suddenly changed back into normal speed and the two girls disappeared from the emotionally strewn theatre.

As soon as they had rematerialised in a more familiar room that would keep them safe from the search party long enough to recover, Chandra slumped to the floor in complete exhaustion. Athena kneeled beside her, pushing a fallen lock away from her hallow, luminescent blue eyes. Behind her, the bustling of footsteps reached them and other hands helped lift Chandra to a more comfortable position. Athena searched the occupants of the room for the one person she wanted most to see, and when she found the pair of amber eyes grinning mischievously back at her, she pushed her way gently through as her heart swelled with a mother's love. A gorgeous blonde toddler reached out chubby hands, his husky, "Mama …," filled with a happy joy. Athena's face broke into a real smile and she wrapped her little boy in her arms to sit with her beside Chandra, who lay back limply, watching Athena as her head rested against her right shoulder in concern. That gaze told Athena more than anything that could have been said that Chandra had seen glimpses of her memories of that place she had seen after her death, and with a few quick orders, the room quickly emptied of other listeners.

"What was that place, Chandra?"

Chandra blinked at her, her bright violet eyes now returned to their natural colour slowly glazing over as her thoughts travelled back to a place she was sure she had left behind to never see again.

"It is a different plane of existence; one that few are chosen to enter. The beings there have abilities; gifts you will not see again on any other plane. Power beyond what is in this realm. It is a great honour to share that power. But, … sometimes, … they try to take power from others – to increase their own. It is against the Code, but …," her voice trailed off, and Athena waited patiently while Orin played with her fingertips as he lay snugly against her torso. It was hard to keep herself from the hugging the boy too tightly in her fear of letting him go to far from her grasp again. Chandra hesitated before continuing.

"They wanted you for a reason, Athena. They could feel the extracts the little one has left behind. You are right to be afraid; they don't have the ability to leave that plane on their own power, but if they can trick an outsider to enter before their time, they can gain entry to our plane of existence when that one is returned. I don't know which one they wanted from you more – access to the power they could smell on you or to the outside realms."

Athena's gaze grew smouldering as she turned to stare stonily at the wall opposite her seat. Orin could feel her tension and let out a distressed whimper, and Athena quickly moved her attention to jiggle her son out of his ill humour and most of her own. Chandra, however, knew whom she was thinking about even as her friend turned to ask.

"Zac?"

Chandra closed her eyes with a deep sigh. "I don't know if it was him. Maybe they've been planning this a longer time than … maybe it _is_ him – he did try to warn you." She sounded so tired that Athena's eyes flickered back to rest on the younger girl, trying to make sense out of the unspoken words missing from her broken sentences.

"Then how can I free him? I can still hear his fear when he called my name. I can't leave my brother behind. If I can save him, I have to – or at least, try!"

Chandra's breathing deepened as she listened, her senses flickering a warning as her friend spoke. She could feel a presence that was growing stronger, drawing nearer. She could almost feel the burn of a pair of eyes watching her with feelings closer to the human emotion of hate. Her voice weakened as she slipped into a restorative deep slumber, her last words wavering a warning.

"You bought something back with you when you returned, Athena. Pray to your gods that it _was_ Zac; or our problems have only just begun!"

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**Next Chapter: **

Things are about to change dramatically - not just for Athena but also for the entire crew. A strange epidemic of short-term amnesia is growing that have many questions building as to whether the mysterious events a lot remember witnessing really happened or were the result of strange dreams no one wants to repeat. In the meantime, Chandra needs to keep a low profile of she wants to discover who it is that followed Athena back through the portal she opened; but all Athena is interested in finding out is whether that really was her brother she met on the other side, and what was he so afraid of. Perhaps they should question what "they" wanted from Athena – or whether she may have been the wrong victim …

* * *

**AN:** I just wanted to apologise for the last chapter – there are probably heaps of spelling mistakes, since it was typed at racing speeds in the early hours of the morning (as is this one, but I will make an effort to read through it more carefully before I upload it …) and the teaser for the next chapter was a little too blunt – but then when you don't get enough sleep in so many days you either lose any subtlety or you go the other way and have totally whacked-out-psychedelic daydreams (like this chapter evidently was born from!) If I have any time this week I may go back in and fix it, but then again, I may be too lazy! 

Hope you semi-liked this one, and hopefully it has given you more reason to hold out for chapter five … thanks again to those who have reviewed; your support has reawakened my muse! (Is that incentive to review again or to run the other way, screaming? Hmm …)

Ciao ciao


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